Efeito do intervalo de retenção no testemunho olfativo

Mestrado em Psicologia ForenseÉ a partir dos diferentes sentidos que mantemos contacto com o que nos rodeia, recebendo uma multiplicidade de estímulos constantemente. O olfato em particular, ainda que subvalorizado, tem um papel importante aos mais diversos níveis, desde a perfumaria, marketing, área da alimentação, entre outros. Em contexto forense, mais especificamente na identificação de suspeitos, este sentido não é ainda utilizado por humanos, sendo a sua utilização exclusivamente da responsabilidade de cães. A intrínseca relação entre o processamento olfativo e as emoções, confere uma particular resistência à memória de odores relativamente à passagem do tempo. Assim, aliada à necessidade de um maior investimento do uso de odores corporais na identificação de suspeitos em investigação criminal, o presente estudo teve como objetivo avaliar o impacto do intervalo de retenção (IR) – tempo decorrido entre a exposição a um estímulo até à altura do seu reconhecimento/identificação – na memória de odores em contexto forense. Aos participantes, que foram divididos em duas condições, uma com um IR curto, de 15 minutos – IRC – e outra com um IR longo (IRL) - de uma semana –, foi apresentado um de dois filmes de crime, em simultâneo com a exposição a um odor, tendo os participantes sido informados tratar-se do odor corporal do perpetrador da cena de crime apresentada. Posteriormente, foi-lhes pedido que identificassem, a partir de um alinhamento de 5 odores, o odor a que tinha sido previamente expostos. Dada a resistência da memória de odores apontada pela literatura, era de esperar que com o aumento do IR o desempenho dos participantes não fosse deteriorado. Contudo, os resultados principais não confirmaram a hipótese proposta, uma vez que para a condição IRL o número de acertos foi significativamente menor (25%) que para a condição IRC (55%). Apesar dos nossos resultados parecerem contrariar a literatura existente no âmbito da memória de odores, estes são consistentes com a literatura referente ao testemunho ocular. Fica assim em aberto a necessidade de novas investigações que avaliem a utilidade do testemunho olfativo, sobretudo enquanto complemento ao testemunho ocular.Through the use of the different senses it is possible to keep contact with the environment around us, thus experiencing a multiplicity of stimuli. Despite of commonly being overestimated, the smell, in particular, plays an important role at several levels, i.e., perfumery, restoration, marketing, etc. In the forensic context has been used mostly on the identification of suspects. However, humans have not been an active intervenient on this task, leaving this mainly, to specialized dogs. The intrinsic relation between the olfactory processing and emotions confers a particular resistance to the odors memory with respect to time. Thus, coupled with the need for greater investment in the use of body odors at identifying suspects in criminal investigation, became this study main aim to evaluate the impact of retention interval (RI) – time interval within the exposition to the stimulus and the identification of the same – in the odors memory, forensic speaking. The participants were subdivided into two groups under different retention interval conditions and exposed to two crime movies; one group was assigned with a short retention interval (IRC) of 15 minutes, while the other was assigned with a longest retention interval (IRL) of one week. Simultaneously, they were exposed to an odor, previously informed that belonged to the perpetrator of the crime of the selected movie. Posteriorly, was asked if, within a five odors, they could identify the odor initially exhibited. Due to the odors memory resistance as it is described by the literature it was expected that with the increase of RI, the participants’ performance would not deteriorate itself. However, the obtained results did not confirm the previously hypothesis, once the number of hits of the participants of IRL condition was significantly less (25%) than the participants who were under the IRC condition (55%). Despite the results seems to contradict the existing literature within the odors memory they are consistent with the literature on eyewitness testimony. Thus, demands the urgency of further research to assess the usefulness of olfactory testimony as a complement to the eyewitness testimony. The integration of different sensory modalities in recognizing potential suspects could pose greater reliability to the testimony

Towards the implementation of ecosystem-based fisheries management in marine areas beyond national jurisdiction

Traditional fisheries management - based on single-species - has proved to be inadequate to sustainably manage living resources that are intrinsic components of highly complex marine ecosystems. Recent developments in marine scientific research have indicated that the ecosystem-based approach, which takes into consideration the interdependence among species and their habitats, is the most appropriate way to manage marine living resources. Shifting from single-species approach to ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM) in areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ) has become imperative, as living resources occurring in these regions are often more vulnerable to collapse than coastal species due to their biological characteristics.In light of this, this thesis aims to analyse the law-making of EBFM in ABNJ as a post-development of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in order to avoid stocks collapse, destruction of critical habitats, and to ensure the resilience of marine ecosystems. This study analyses UNCLOS, as the main legal instrument governing the uses of the ocean and its living resources, in the light of recent developments of international law and policy in regards to EBFM.This study concludes that a systemic interpretation of UNCLOS in the light of recent treaties and other legal and policy instruments provides a legal basis for the implementation of EBFM in marine areas beyond national jurisdiction. However, the fragmented nature of the international fisheries regime can undermine the consistent implementation of EBFM at a global level. In view of this, this study then looks beyond the issue of interpretation, and proposes actual means for the operationalization of EBFM at a global level in accordance with international law. It proposes the adoption of an implementing agreement to UNCLOS regulating the establishment of marine protected areas as a tool to the implementation of EBFM in marine areas beyond national jurisdiction

Empowerment and intentions to resist future change: the moderating effect organization-based self-esteem

Nowadays, organizations face a constant need for adaptability, increasing the importance of change management. Our study focuses of how empowering leadership influences intentions to resist future changes, mediated by the effects of psychological and structural empowerment. From the responses of the two questionnaires (N1=230; Ntf=113), we found that empowering leadership fosters psychological and structural empowerment. Structural empowerment was the main driver in reducing intentions to resist future change when an employee has high organization-based self-esteem. Our findings add to the literature by examining how we can anticipate and manage change under an empowering context, building on social exchange and uncertainty reduction theorie

A influência da hipernatremia do doador no transplante de fígado

Trabalho de Conclusão de Curso - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina. Curso de Medicina. Departamento de Clinica Medica

Deteção dos limites navegáveis da estrada por análise da densidade de nuvens de pontos acumulados

As part of the Atlas project, this dissertation aims to identify the navigable limits of the road by analyzing the density of accumulated point clouds, obtained through laser readings from a SICK LD-MRS sensor. This sensor, installed in front of the AtlasCar2, has the purpose of identifying obstacles at road level and from it the creation of occupation grids that delimit the navigable space of the vehicle is proposed. First, the point cloud density is converted into an occupancy density grid, normalized in each frame in relation to the maximum density. Edge detection algorithms and gradient filters are subsequently applied to the density grid, in order to detect patterns that match sudden changes in density, both positive and negative. To these grids are applied thresholds in order to remove irrelevant information. Finally, a methodology for quantitative evaluation of algorithms was also developed, using KML files to define road boundaries and, relying on the accuracy of the GPS data obtained, comparing the actual navigable space with the one obtained by the methodology for detection of road boundaries and thus evaluating the performance of the work developed. In this work, the results of the different algorithms are presented, as well as several tests taking into account the influence of grid resolution, car speed, among others. In general, the work developed meets the initially proposed objectives, being able to detect both positive and negative obstacles and being minimally robust to speed and road conditions.No âmbito do projeto Atlas, esta dissertação prevê a identificação dos limites navegáveis da estrada através da análise da densidade da acumulaçao de nuvens de pontos, obtidas através de leituras laser provenientes de um sensor SICK LD-MRS. Este sensor, instalado na frente do AtlasCar2, tem como propósito a identificação de obstáculos ao nível da estrada e a partir dos seus dados prevê-se a criação de grelhas de ocupação que delimitem o espaço navegável do veículo. Em primeiro lugar, a densidade da nuvem de pontos é transformada numa grelha de densidade normalizada em cada frame em relação à densidade máxima, à qual posteriormente são aplicados algoritmos de deteção de arestas e filtros de gradiente com o objetivo de detetar padrões que correspondam a mudanças súbitas de densidade, tanto positivas como negativas. A estas grelhas são aplicados limiares de forma a eliminar informação irrelevante. Por fim, foi desenvolvida também uma metodologia de avaliação quantitativa dos algoritmos, usando ficheiros KML para deliniar limites da estrada e, contanto com a precisão dos dados de GPS obtidos, comparar o espaço navegável real com o obtido pela metodologia de deteção de limites de estrada e assim avaliar o desempenho dos algoritmos desenvolvidos. Neste trabalho são apresentados resultados dos diferentes algoritmos, bem como diversos testes tendo em conta a influência da resolução de grelha, velocidade do carro, entre outros. O trabalho desenvovido cumpre os objetivos propostos inicialmente, sendo capaz de detetar ambos obstáculos positivos e negativos e sendo minimamente robusto a velocidade e condições de estrada.Mestrado em Engenharia Mecânic